You're a Wizard, Henry!
by SillyCC
Summary: Emma's got magic, but it's not exactly what Hogwarts was looking for. Henry, on the other hand, has strong potential; he's been revived at least twice and has been passing through a magical barrier on and off for almost a year! When a simple owl shows up at the New York apartment window in which Henry lives, his life begins to change drastically. First person, usually Henry.
1. One Heck of a Birthday Gift

It was as normal a day as ever, as it usually was in the apartment. Besides it being my birthday, that was. Eight fifteen and I woke up, ready for laser tag with friends later that day, and I got ready quite quickly. The scent of eggs drifted through the air, and I quickly sat down, waiting for the delicious breakfast we always shared. The only odd thing was the hot cocoa. "Mom," I said, smiling. "I think you forgot something."

She nodded, pulling out the canister of strong cinnamon. "Almost forgot, thanks," she said, sprinkling the sweet powder over both of our steaming mugs. "Happy Birthday, by the way," she said with a smile. We clinked the mugs together and took a long, cherished sip, before a rapping came upon the window.

"What's that?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow. I saw a figure at the window—something with big wings it seemed—curiously, wondering why the heck a bird that big would be up here during the day.

Mom got up, curious as I was, and shook her head as she examined the figure at the window. "It's an owl," she said, tapping on the window to try and get the bird to leave. It didn't budge. "What the—" she said, grunting as she opened the window. The bird seemed to know what to do, as it landed on the thin ledges dropped the letter it had been holding in its beak. Having its job done, the owl lifted off again, flying towards the countryside.

I was quite surprised. "A letter? By owl?" I said, chuckling a bit at the thought. "Where's it from?" I added, getting up from the table and taking the envelope from my mom's outstretched hand. The envelope had a big, red, wax stamp on the back, and I more closely read over the words written upon it. "Henry Swan, Apartment 207, New York, NY, USA." I repeated slowly, wondering why they'd even bother to put the country.

I pulled out the first piece of brittle paper, deciding it was parchment, and read. After re-reading it at least five more times, my mouth stopped gaping and my mind started thinking again.

"Well?" Mom questioned, taking in my odd look.

I stammered a bit as I spoke, the sheer unbelievability of the letter still withholding my full comprehension from working. "It, uh, says I-I'm a...wizard..." I turned over the parchment, scanning it for any sign of a prank or joke, but none could be found. "Is this a joke?" I said as soon as my mouth had become un-numbed completely, looking at her intently.

"No," she shook her head, and I could tell she wasn't lying. She wasn't very good at lying at all.

I shrugged, looking at the second piece of paper. "Hold on," I said now even more confused, "this says I need to be at Kings Cross station on September first. Isn't Kings Cross in England...?" I said, recalling my schooling.

Mom returned the shrug. "How the heck should I know? I was never good in geography or social studies, whatever you learned that in." She smirked a little, though, so I knew she didn't care too much about not knowing. "Though I do remember some news stories from around there in about 1998, I think; there was some weird weather stuff happening, I think. Can't exactly remember, though. I was only fifteen, though, and I was—" she bit her lip, which she seemed to do a lot if her past were to come into question. Something about the past shook her. She coughed and continued on hastily, "never mind."

I shrugged, looking at the letter again. Turning it upside down to look at the writing in the light, a smaller note came out; one written on much nicer, newer paper. "Wait," I said, picking up the piece of paper quickly. I read it over, smiling a little. It was written by a boy my age; must've been added in there at the last moment, or added unknowingly to the "Professor McGonnagal" who was written to be the headmistress of this "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." I finished up the last line, then summarized it to my mom. "This boy says he's in his first year as well, and said his parents offered to get us to England on time. The signature at the bottom says...James Potter." I said, just making out the signature hastily written at the bottom of the note. "Also says to be at the Statue of Liberty at noon August 30, and to have everything packed and prepared. Look for the...flying car...?" This was getting really weird.

Mom shook her head in disbelief again. "Maybe the owl just flew out of the zoo and grabbed a hold of someone's letter? I don't know." She looked at the envelope in the light, and narrowed her eyes. "Hey, there's something else in there...looks like a photo..." She slipped the envelope out of my hands and took the picture out, gasping when she looked at it. "Henry, come look at this—" she said, someone surprised yet a bit amused by the looks of it, "the picture's moving."

"What?" I couldn't believe this. Why would...oh. I took a peek at the picture, and saw a family with a piece of paper that said "Swan" on it. One of the boys was waving gladly, and I assumed that was James Potter. "I, uh, guess that's who's picking us up...?" I said, looking at the picture again. "I'm surprised I'd be going to a school in Great Britain for something like this; I'm sure there are school like this here..." I was curious and yet taken aback at all of this at once, and on my birthday.

She did nothing but faintly smile, seeming to start to think this could be somewhat plausible. "Well, I guess you've got a long road ahead of you, buddy."

_Author's Note:: Alright, first chapter, and I'm looking forward to this one. I've decided James Potter Jr. was born in 2003, a year after his mother came back from playing for the Harpies, and so he and Henry will be buddies in school like Harry and Ron. It says James Jr. is a lot like Rom in the wiki, so...yeah. Henry will have some adventures with James and Rose (Ron and Hermione's daughter) for the lolz. Not sure what to do once the rest of season three of OUAT is up. Have fun and look for updates!_


	2. One Point From Lady Liberty!

It was now August 30. Noon. Mom and I stood at the base of the Statue of Liberty, trying to keep track of the bags that hung from our arms and stood at our sides. In New York, this wasn't the smartest thing to do, but we had decided to see what happened. To humor us, I guess.

It was now five past noon. Mom was getting impatient. It didn't seem like to long, but...when you're waiting for something unexpected, everything is a lot longer to you.

Ten past noon. And nothing was happening—except for a plane zooming across the sky. It was oddly shaped, and seemed to be getting bigger. I inched towards my mom, tugging at her arm, "I don't think that's a plane..." I said hurriedly, suddenly pushing all the bags out of the way as an old car came zooming almost right over our heads. It shot upwards at a harsh angle, almost nicking Lady Liberty's toe, and kept increasing in altitude until it almost reached the top of the statue. I winced as a tiny point off the green crown came falling down into the ocean, only making about as much noise as a coin splashing into a puddle, but still worrying to me. No one seemed to be really noticing it, besides us, and that was what really confused me. People just seemed to part for the crashing car, which finally landed gently on the grass.

I started grabbing for my bags as the door opened, but didn't think to look at who was in the car. As I lifted my head once my bags were once again under my control, I was really quite surprised. Clear as day, that same family from the image stood there, the father holding the sign that said "Swan." One of the boys, younger than James it seemed, grinned widely as he noticed our gaze upon them. "Well, I think Aunt Hermione's spell worked! They're the only ones to see us!" He said triumphantly, looking at who seemed to be the mother and father.

James was also smiling. "Sorry about that damage to the statue, Dad got a little distracted while driving, and—"

"Wouldn't have been distracted if you would've stopped fighting with Albus and Lily—" the father said, seeming irritated.

"Harry, dear, be quiet," the mother said, whose voice seemed to calm the family, "it was no single person's fault." Seeing her son's triumphant look, which was pretty apparent, "You were a part of it, James. Don't think you've wriggled out of this one."

James seemed to be defeated at this, and then looked towards me again. "Alright, so I am to blame a bit. I see you're packed, though; that's good." He looked back at the car, wincing. "Let's hope the enlargement spell Aunt Hermione cast on the ol' rust-bucket will hold up 'till we get back to the Leaky Cauldron..."

This got me worried. "You mean, the...spell...could wear off? What would happen?" I said a bit hastily, not wanting to be squished in a small car with people I'd only just met.

A young girl peeked from behind the mother's legs, and shrugged. "Ever seen canned sardines?" She said with a playful grin. I nodded. "That's what it'd feel like—besides the turning into slimy fish and being packed in oil or water..." This little girl was adorable in that little girl way, and she probably knew it. I chuckled a little, though still not wanting to be packed in like that.

My mom thought otherwise about all of this. "How'd that car get airborne across the sea? What do you mean 'spell'? What's all this about?" She was sure full of questions, but I couldn't blame her; this was seriously crazy.

The mother walked up to my mom, and smiled. "Sorry about all this. I'm Ginerva Potter, but most call my Ginny. Harry, my husband, and I, agreed to pick you and Henry up to get him to Diagon Alley to get supplies and to get him to Kings Cross station in time for the Hogwarts Express." She extended a hand for greeting, which Mom hesitantly took. Ginny continued, "So, my brother's wife Hermione is quite skilled with spells, and she cast a spell that would hide us from all views but yours; she also enlarged this old car so you two could fit in it along with Henry's and James' bags. Again, I apologize for all this happening so suddenly." She seemed sincere, and I could believe all this if she said it.

My mom seemed to soften a little, because she looked back at me and nodded. She had a faint smile on her face, and so I started picking up my bags and heading for the car. The dad nudged James in the back, and his eyes widened, knowing what he was being asked to do through gestures. He ran up to me and took a few of the bags and went towards the trunk. He opened it up, revealing quite the trunk, and I was amazed at that.

All of my bags were tossed into the trunk, yet there was still a ton of room, and James opened the door, gesturing in for me. "You first," he said as I peered into the small—rather large, actually—car and stepped in. I couldn't believe it! How could such a thing be possible? I guess it'd all become apparent once I got to...Pigboils? No, I think it was Hogwarts.

"So, uh, wow," I couldn't really explain it any better than that, and that's all about I could say anyways. I sat onto a rough cushion with a spring almost popping out, and I clicked the seatbelt with a bit of struggle. "How old is this car?" I shrugged, then widening my eyes and adding something quickly, "I uh, I was just curious is all." My cheeks turned a little warm; I felt like I had just viewed their magical car negatively. Who knew what it could do?

Hah, I soon found out what this car could do, because I was quickly tossed out of the car door! All the Potters were wincing, obviously embarrassed they hadn't told me about this or that I hadn't realized this magic car could feel. That's what it was doing, right? James was trying to hold in a snicker, though, and soon spoke through short bursts of laughter. "Ha, sorry. This ol' girl is—heh—a bit sensitive. I—ha—guess I supposed you woulda known, but, heh, I guess not..." James was beet red.

"Yeah, I guess that would've been nice to know," I said, wincing a little. I'd probably get some bad bruises from this. Pushing myself up, I walked over to the grumbling car. Now, I really don't know much about live cars, hence the earlier mishap, so I was pretty hesitant. "Uh, sorry I called you old, I guess..." I said, raising a hand and then deciding to pat the car a few times. Yeah, anyone else around here would've thought I was crazy—if anyone was around to see it. Everyone had seemed to vanish, almost like magi—oh. "You guys make everyone leave?" I said, looking around.

The father nodded. "Yeah. Extra precautions and all. Why don't we try getting into the car again? I think she's, ah, calmer now." He smiled a little, walking over to the right side of the car. Oh yeah, it's a British car, the driver's side is switched. No wonder they were a bit confused driving here. "C'mon, we've gotta—oh!" He winced, looking at the time. "Ah, darnit. Airplane traffic is just about to start acting up. Great. C'mon, get in the car everyone. Let's hope we can just squeeze by." The man sighed and closed the door quickly, and though I thought I was imagining things, it looked as if there was something on his forehead. I brushed off the thought and slipped back into the car.

As everyone piled in, my mom got in last. She still seemed to be surprised about all this, but she finally buckled the belt. "Alright, please tell me you'll be better driving this time," she sighed, seeming oddly nervous.

I could help smirking at James, this was going to be a lot of fun. His little brother and sister seemed excited too, they must've never seen this stuff before—the train station we'd be going to, that is—and were as excited as the rest of us kids. Who knew what'd happen, then?

Chapter Three: Diagonally?

The car ride was much smoother than the last one had looked for sure. James and I tried to play the alphabet game while we drove, but it proved almost impossible. The little girl, Lily, finally broke the boring silence, as she asked her mom to tell them a story from their years at Hogwarts.

The mom seemed to like that idea, and turned around in the elongated car. "How about I tell you all about the Chamber of Secrets?" She said, smiling a little.

"Mooooom, you tell that one too much," the younger boy said.


	3. Diagonally?

The car ride was much smoother than the last one had looked for sure. James and I tried to play the alphabet game while we drove, but it proved almost impossible. The little girl, Lily, finally broke the boring silence, as she asked her mom to tell them a story from their years at Hogwarts.

The mom seemed to like that idea, and turned around in the elongated car. "How about I tell you all about the Chamber of Secrets?" She said, smiling a little.

"Mooooom, you tell that one too much," the younger boy whined.

The mom only smiled, "Albus, you may be tired of it, but what about Henry here?" She smiled at me, and I smiled a little too.

My shoulders rolled a little, "What's the Chamber of Secrets?" Soon I was about to know all about it.

"It's this cool chamber in the second floor girl's bathroom—" James started, but I had to butt in.

"Girl's bathroom?"

"No, the opening is in there. I can show you once we get there."

"No, you can't!" Lily said, pouting, "Daddy and Mommy said we couldn't do that stuff at Hogwarts!" She stomped a foot in the carpeted ground of the car.

James whispered in my ear with a smirk, "Alright, let's make sure we go before Lily gets to Hogwarts."

I grinned a little. "So, what else about this chamber?"

"Well," James went on, "once you get down there, it's riddled with a bunch of skeletons. They're all really old, though, Dad killed the basilisk that was down there." I decided to ask questions later. "So, once you get to this big opening, you'll see this HUGE skeleton. It's the old basilisk husk. Don't touch the fangs, they're poisonous still."

"James, I think he'd like to know what happened beforehand," the dad said. This dad seemed pretty cool, knowing he killed such a...thing. "A little backstory to it, though. Basically, over sixty years ago, the chamber was opened by the heir of Slytherin: Tom Marvolo Riddle. A few students were killed, and then the chamber was closed. Tom left his diary, though, for an unsuspecting student to read and become immersed in it." Things sounded so cool the way this dad told it.

James had his elbows on his knees, hands holding up his head, and a big grin on his face. "Mom, can you tell us the next part?"

Albus, the boy was called, seemed to be utterly bored. Maybe they did hear this story a lot?

The mom smiled. "Well, once Lucius Malfoy had snuck the diary into my cauldron, I had no idea it was there. Once I found it, I began feeling like it were my only friend. I got too immersed in it. Soon Tom was controlling me. I woke up with large bits of memory missing, and I didn't know who was threatening everyone at school.

"I was getting weaker, and finally Tom was getting to be too much for me. I threw the diary into a stall in the second floor girl's bathroom. I thought I was rid of him for good." It seemed to me like it was done, but I guess it wasn't.

The dad chimed in, "I found the diary when some of my friends and I were trying to make a certain potion. I too started to converse with the being inside the diary, and soon I thought that one of my dear friends had opened the Chamber of Secrets the first time. Boy, was I wrong.

"Turns out I had been tricked by Tom Riddle, as he had opened the chamber before. I didn't know that, and I though that was all. Once I got to the Chamber of Secrets, after a little mishap with a crazy teacher, I found Ginny lying on the floor. Tom Riddle was next to her. You see, Tom Riddle was no simple spirit. He had out a piece of himself into this diary. He finally revealed his secret to me by switching the letters in his full name—Tom Marvolo Riddle—into a new sentence: I am Lord Voldemort.

"He had been planning to release the basilisk again, and was planning on ridding the world of what are called Mudbloods. Never use this word, it's much better to say muggle-born, or to dismiss their heritage altogether. Family magic doesn't matter, Tom's father was a muggle-born. So he sent the basilisk after me, but I finally killed it with the help of Gryffindor's sword. I stabbed the diary with a fang, almost died from poison, and found myself saving Hogwarts. It was, to my dismay, not the last time I'd have to save people. Certainly not the first or the last." The father seemed to have told the story without even swerving a little; that must've taken skills.

I was amazed by this story, and my face showed it. "Wow," I said simply, grinning at James, "how many stories do your parents have?"

"Tons!" James said excitedly.

"Too many!" Albus said, glad the story was over.

"Loads of them! Albus, you haven't even heard them all! Neither have I!" Lily said, pouting a little. I was starting to get the feeling that Lily was talented at getting her way with her expressions.

Wait, _muggle-born_? "What's a muggle?" I asked, feeling a little stupid. Should I have known about these?

"Oh dear," Ginny said, her ears turning a little red, "I believe we may have forgotten to mention that muggle is another name for one with no magical powers. Like your mother," Ginny gestured to my mom, who had stayed peculiarly silent during the ride.

I shrugged to her, smiling a little, and then looked back to the wizarding family. "So, where are we going again?"

"Diagon Alley," James said, grinning widely.

"Diagonally?" I said, wondering why we would be going in a simple direction instead of an actual place.

Lily giggled, "No, Diagon. Alley. It's a place where tons of cool magic stuff is! That's where you go to get your supplies for Hogwarts." She seemed to know a lot about magic for such a young girl. Maybe it was a thing with wizarding families.

This seemed really cool! "Like what kinds of things?" I said, letting anyone answer who could.

James pounced on the question, "Wands, robes, brooms, potions, owls, and cool candies! Just wait 'till we're able to visit Hogsmeade third year..."

"Wow!" I said, grinning, "Are we there yet?"

"Oh no," my mom said, knowing there would be more of that hated sentence to come.

—

"Robes?" Ginny, James' mom checked.

"Yes."

"Books?"

"Yup."

"Cauldrons?"

"Got 'em."

"Good," she said, nodding, "now let's go over and say hi to Uncle George." She smiled, though there was a hint of sadness in her voice. I wonder what happened?

"Can't we get out wands, Mom?" James asked, obviously anxious to get his. No, I wanted mine too, it's just...I don't know, I don't really know how I should feel about it. "C'mon, Henry's never even been able to use magic! He's never seen it at home!" I couldn't disagree with him there.

Their dad chuckled, "Ginny, you go ahead and take Lily and Albus to see George. I'll take them over to Ollivander's to get wands, then we'll meet up in Wizard Wheezes." Wizard Wheezes?

Ginny sighed and set a hand on each of the younger kids' shoulders. "Alright, but don't take too long."

"The wand chooses the wizard, Mom, we can't control how long it takes!" James laughed a little as we walked down the path, and I chuckled a little too. "Henry, this is gonna be so cool! Just wait until you see all of 'em."

I was excited! Just what would be in Ollivander's? Well, wands, of course, but I didn't know what to expect honestly. Well, I'd find out soon enough. The sooner I got my wand, the sooner I could get back to my mom who had to wait outside the Leaky Cauldron (she couldn't see it) and show it to her.


	4. These Wands are WAY too Picky!

James smirked, nodding towards the shop, "Betcha I can beat you to Ollivander's."

"You're on!" I said, not even remembering I wasn't much into sports.

We ran down the street, almost knocking over a few older kids and a couple parents, and James tagged the doorknob first. We laughed as much as we could through labored breaths, both panting a little. "That was fun," James said between breaths, though his weren't as shallow as mine.

Once James' dad caught up and we had caught our breath, I turned the knob on the old door and walked inside. It smelled like a ton of different woods at the same time, along with a bit of the smell one would associate with a grandparent's house. I didn't know the smell as well, but visiting Granny's a few times gave me a hint.

"Welcome, young wizards," an elderly voice rang out around the room, and soon a man entered from the back room. He seemed older than some of the dirt on the ground, and I wondered if that were true. "Ah, and hello Harry. Are these two yours?" He smiled at the dad. So his name was Harry.

Harry chuckled a little, "only one of them. The other just discovered all the wizarding world this morning. Took it really well."

I smiled, feeling I should be proud of that. Maybe other kids didn't take it so well?

The old man, Ollivander, smiled, and shook my hand as I walked up to the desk. He had steady hands for a man so old, so I couldn't help but be amazed at his health. "It's very nice to meet you, boy," he said, his voice soft and kind.

"You too, sir," I said, not sure what else to say. I turned back to James and shrugged my shoulders, "you wanna go first?"

James' face lit up, "Sure!" He said, rushing up to the desk.

"James," Ollivander said, pondering the name, "like your grandfather."

"Yessir," James said, nodding. He didn't seem happy at the mention of his father, I wonder what had happened to him?

"Well, let's see what I can do," the man said, holding up a finger. He slid out a dusty box, blowing off the thick layer of it. "Hawthorne, ten-and-a-half inches, phoenix feather core. Very springy," He held out the wand, which was a beautiful dark brown color with a paler handle, and James took it eagerly.

He flicked the wand confidently, and Ollivander's glasses cracked. One flick of his own wand later, and the man took the wand back gingerly, "Not that one..." He pondered a thought for a second, then pulled out a cleaner box. "Perhaps this one..." James took the wand more hesitantly, but then examined its pale qualities. "Willow, nine inches, brittle."

James flicked the wand quickly, and again a catastrophe happened. Wands exploded from a bookshelf across the room, and he put down the wand gingerly. "I suppose not that one, either," he said, chuckling a little.

Ollivander "hmm"ed for a few seconds, then pulled out a wand without a case. "I was wondering when this one might be tested," he said, handing it to James.

"You sure this one won't explode my head or something?" James said with a grin, though he seemed to be curious anyways.

The old man laughed, "Oh, no, that never happens. Rarely does more than a minor explosion around the store. Some wands are more finicky than others," he said, almost as if he believed the wands had a mind of their own. Well, these were magic...but, it...it couldn't be true! Right?

James took the wand in hand and immediately I saw something glow around him. Was this a message to tell him it was the wand? I guess so, as Ollivander and the two Potters smiled.

"I thought that might be true..." Ollivander said, examining the wand again, "this was the first wand your father tried. No one since has been able to take to this wand, but I supposed this might be true."

"Cool!" James exclaimed, waving the wand around a little.

Harry set a hand on his shoulder, "Careful, son, you don't want to take anyone's eye out." He laughed a little, but still he seemed to be truthful.

Suddenly, I realized it was time for me to test out wands. Would it take as long, or longer, to find mine? I guess three wands isn't that long, but it seems to take forever when you know whatever you get will be your wand forever, unless it breaks, I suppose. "How do I know which wand is mine?" I ask.

"The wand chooses the wizard, my boy, not the other way around," Ollivander said, smiling. So it was true, these wands could somehow think for themselves! "Here's a good one," he said, pulling out a black, shiny wand, "Holly, eleven and two-thirds inches, flexible."

"Wow," I breathed as the first wand came into my hand. Wow didn't last for long, just a few seconds after I came into contact with it, it made a vase explode. "Eh, I don't think that's it..." I said, placing the wand on the table.

The old man sighed and pulled out another wand; this one was pale greenish-grey in color and had lots of little branch designs on it. "Olive branch, eight inches, stiff," he said, giving it to me. I flicked it, the wand gave me enough time to, but again a bunch of wands flew from their shelves. "No, not that one either..." He said, putting it back.

For what seemed like hours, I tried wand after wand, and soon I was wondering if I was really a wizard. "Maybe you're defective," James said, and though I knew he was kidding, it hurt a bit. "Hey, you know I don't actually mean it," he added, noticing my long face.

I guess it helped a little, but I still sighed as I took another wand in my hand. "Cherry, eleven and one-third inches, springy,"

I flicked the wand without much effort, but it didn't matter. I felt warm, and the air looked kind of golden and sparky. This wand chose me! I swung it a little, watching a few golden sparks fly from its maroon tip. It was a sleek wand with a few etchings in it, and the color reminded me of chocolate-covered cherries. "Finally!" I said, smiling at the wand.

James and his father were happy too, and as we payed for our wands (the most expensive bit so far), I remembered something. They were paying for everything I was getting!

"Don't worry," Harry said, as if he knew what I was thinking, "we've got it covered. Your mother didn't trust us enough to lend us some American money to exchange for wizard money, so we covered the payments for this year. Be ready next year, though."

Wow, I though, they were being really nice to me! I mean, only half a day ago, I was just a regular kid. Now I have a wand and everything!

"Dad," James said, tugging on both of our arms, "remember, we were gonna visit Uncle George at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!"

I grinned as we headed for a bright orange and purple building, excited for yet another interesting store to enter. I'd be sure to show my mom my wand once we finished getting everything.


End file.
